Horace b



(No Model.)

H. B. HEWITT. MAIL POUCH RELEASING DEVICE.

Patented 001;. 18, 1892.

. UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

HORACE B. HEWITT, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MAlL-POUCH-RELEASING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,499, dated October18, 1892.

Application filed November 20, 1891. Serial No. 412,543. (No model.)

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the mail sack orpouch will be instantaneously released when gripped or engaged by thepouch-catcher of the moving train; also, to provide a catch or hook thatwill automatically adjust or reset itself to engage or release the pouchwhen required; also, to provide means whereby the sustaining-link willpartially rotate or swing in line with the direction of the force due tothe inertia of the moving train and that of the pouch sustained on saidcatch, and thereby relieve the sustaining rings and straps attachedthereto and to the mail-pouch of any undue stress. I attain theseobjects by means of the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in Which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the sustaining-arms of amail-catcher, showing a mailpouch suspended thereon. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of thesustaining link, showing the aut'omaticallyadjusting hook pivotallysecured on the bifurcated end thereof. Fig. 4 is a front elevation ofthe same,

and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the sustaining-link and releasing andretaining hook in position when about to release the mail-pouch and todisengage its next consecutive curved engaging-arm from itsretaining-spring.

Similar numbers of reference designatelike parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the drawings, the upper and the lower sustaining-arms 1 arepivotally secured to a rigidly-held vertical mast in direct verticalalignment and at a suitable distance apart to permit a mail-pouch to besuspended and retained between them. The ends of the arms 1 are reducedto receive and to accurately fit the eyes 2 of the sustaining-link 3 andto pivot thereon. The sustaining-link 3 is preferably madeorcast withahollowor rectangular section to secure lightness, and has itscatch-supporting end bifurcated, between which bifurcations or jaws 4and 5 the automatic engaging and releasing catch or hook 6 is pivotallysecured by the bolt 7. The catch or hook 6 I designate as a continuousengaging and releasing hook for the reason that one of the series of itsradially-curved arms is at all times in position to engage thesustainingring of the mail-pouch and to release the same when therequisite amount of force of concussion is applied thereto when engagedby the grip of the moving train. The arms 8 are preferably formedintegral on the catch 6, with the concavity of their curves in the samedirection to contact with the free end of the retaining-spring 9 and tobe gradually released therefrom. The spring 9 is preferably made ofspring-steel or other equally-resilient material and has its fixed endrigidly secured to the face of the sustaining-link 3 by the rivet 10 orother suitable securing device.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the topand bottom ends of the mail-pouch 11 are held in position by the hook orcatch 6, which retains the pouch in position till caught by the catchingdevice on the moving train.

The operation of my device is as follows: The top and bottom arms of themail-catcher are first placed in their relative positions, as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, with the top sustaining-link projecting downwardly andthe bottom or under one projecting upwardly, the catch or hook 6 beingin the position shown in Fig. 3, with its curved or hooked arm 8projecting outwardly and whereon the top and bottom suspending andretaining rings of the mail-pouch are hooked. The elastic and retainingspring 9 must be sufiiciently strong or stiff to retain the catch orhook 6 in its engaging position, as shown in Fig. 3, when the weight ofthe pouch and the attachments thereof are being sustained; but when aslightlyadditional force is applied to the pouch the spring must permitthe said catch to rotate freely and to release said pouch, as shown inFig. 5. It is obvious that the instant the pouch is released a rotativemotion in the direction of the arrow (see Figs. 3 and 5) is transmittedto the catch 6, which movement alternately presents one of the series ofthe engaging-arms 8 into engaging position, as shown particularly inFig. 3.

It is clear that any number of arms or hooks may be applied to arotative hook of the character described; but I prefer to use four suchradial arms or hooks, as shown in the drawings, for the reason that thisnumber produces much better results in actual practice. It will also beobserved that the sustaining-links 3, owing to the fact of their beingpivotally secured on the ends of their sustaining-arms, are permitted toreadily adjust themselves or to swing with their centers in line withthe natural lines of the component forces of the resultant force appliedto and concentrated in the mail-pouch,aud thereby reduce the stress onthe mail-pouch attachments to a minimum.

Having thus fully described the construction and operation of myinvention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to cover byLetters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. In an automatic mail-pouch-releasing device, the combination, with asustaininglink having a bifurcated end and a suitable spring secured onthe face thereof, of a rotative releasing-hook pivoted in saidbifurcated end of the link and in the rear of said spring, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In an automatic mail-pouch-releasing device, the combination, with asustaining- .link having a bifurcated end and a suitable spring securedon the face thereof, of a suitable releasing rotative hook pivoted insaid bifurcated end of said link and in the rear of said spring, saidbook being provided with a series of curved radial arms, substantiallyas set forth.

3. In an automatic mail-pouch-releasing device, the combination, with asuitable sustaining-link having a pivotal and a bifurcated end, of arotative retaining and releasing hook pivoted in said link and havingits axis transverse to the axis of said link, substantially as setforth.

4. In an automatic mail-pouch-releasing device, the combination, with asustaininglink having a pivotal and a bifurcated end and a suitablespring secured on the face of said link, of a rotative retaining andreleasing hook pivoted in said bifurcated end of the link in the rear ofsaid end of spring, said hook having its axis transverse to the axis ofsaid sustaining hook-link, substantially as set forth.

5. In an automatic mail-pouch-releasing device, the combination, with asustaininglink having a pivotal and a bifurcated end, of a springsecured on the face of said link, a rotative releasing and engaging hookhaving a series of curved radial arms pivoted in said bifurcated end ofthe link and in the rear of said spring with its axis transverse to thepivotal axis of said link, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HORACE B. HEWITT. Witnesses:

THOMPSON R. BELL, JOHN Sr. GEO. THURTLE.

